


An Oíche

by sceawere



Series: Shelby/Solomons Verse [3]
Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Grumpy Alfie, Period-Typical Racism, Romani & Travelers, Shelby/Solomons relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-08 07:53:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15238833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sceawere/pseuds/sceawere
Summary: After the events of Truce, reader thinks Alfie needs to get to know her family a little better.





	An Oíche

“We’re going to freeze to death”

“Alfie, please shut the fuck up, my love” you sighed.

“We are going to freeze to death, yeah?” he took pauses between each set of words, staring into the fire in front of the wagon.

“We’re not going to freeze to death, you’re being a baby”

“How the fuck do you live in these things? I mean, honestly, I want to know, how generations have survived living feral like this” he elbowed the side of the wagon.

“We’re not fucking feral you dick”

You punched his arm before shuffling closer to him and snuggling into his side, wrapping the edges of your shawl around as much of him as you could.

* * *

 

He’d had a permanent scowl on his face for hours now, ever since you’d had the car pull in to the field at the back of Tommy’s place and set off for the group of wagons parked there.

“The fuck is happening here, love?” he frowned, eyeing the field with suspicion.

“Come on, I’m staying here tonight” you nodded towards the gathering.

“No, we’re staying at the big house, you said”

You tilted your head, and took a step towards him.

“Nooooo, I said we were going to the big house, not staying in it”

“Right well that’s lying then isn’t it? You lied to me”

“No, I simply didn’t provide additional information, it’s not my fault if you forgot to clarify” you smirked.

He planted his cane and stared you down.

“This is retaliation, isn’t it? For the gy-“

“Ah ah ah, Alfie, you can’t say that remember? We have a contract, one you tried to void” you waved your finger, enjoying winding him up.

“I wasn’t going to say it, was I? You didn’t let me finish, you have no bloody faith in me, sweetheart”

You quirked an eyebrow at him, the breeze grasping onto the strands of your hair and dancing them over your face.

“I’m not staying in a gypsy camp, sweetheart, I’m just not” he sniffed, hands crossing over his cane.

“Right well have fun sleeping alone in a house full of Shelby’s then”

You walked over to him, planted a big kiss on his cheek, and made back off into the field without a second look. He grumbled behind you, debating his options, which idea he hated more. You kept the smile on your face imagining the expression on his face as he called your name behind you.

“Yes, my dear?” you teased.

“Say I were to come and spend some time with your…lovely gypsy family over there” he gestured with a vague wave and you cocked a hip, crossing your arms, “would I be able to convince you, to make a deal, in which we then move to the big house what your cousin lives in. With the walls, and the, plumbing and that?”

You took in then let out a deep dramatic breath, running your eyes over the horizon and drawing out his torment.

“No, I don’t think so, I think I’d like to sleep in a wagon tonight. With my _lovely gypsy family_ ” you echoed.

“Right”

You hummed a response, smile creeping back onto your face. You loved making Alfie squirm and this was the height.

“So either way I’m getting screwed tonight aren’t I?” he groused, and you pushed your tongue into your cheek.

“Well, Alfie, we’ll just have to see where the night takes us, won’t we sweetheart?”

You took his hand and led him off towards the wagons, Johnny noticing you and greeting you with a big hug.

“Johnny Dogs, you mad fucker, come here” he picked you up from the ground and shook you a little, making you laugh, “oh, I missed you, uncail”

“And who’s this gentlemen, here then?” he asked, dropping you down.

“This is my man, Alfie, you might know him better as the man Tommy keeps fucking around with” you introduced.

“Ah, so this’d be The Wandering Jew himself, eh?”

Alfie bristled a little at this but you just shrugged at him.

“You named yourself that, hun, din’t you? And I’d like to remind you of a certain contract right about now” you said, eyeing the squint in his eye that usually precipitated him losing his shit in some manner.

Alfie nodded to himself, set his jaw, and avoided eye contact with both you and Johnny, shaking his hand.

“Lovely to meet ya” he settled on. Very diplomatic.

“Yeah, and you. Bringing the grand boy down to slum with us, are you?” Johnny knocked your shoulder, and you smiled.

“Well, I think it’s important to share traditions with the ones you love, isn’t it Alfie?”

You turned to him with a smirk, fully enjoying how uncomfortable he was. Alfie was used to being the biggest man in the room, at least metaphorically, and he was absolutely out of his element here in the grass.

“Yeah, yeah, love, it is, yeah” he agreed, avoiding your eyes.

“Right, then. Where you having us?”

Johnny had set you up in a spare wagon they’d been fixing up and you’d been relishing being back out amongst the stars, with your family. London was nice. Sometimes. You’d grown to love it because of what it meant to you but you were never really a city girl and it was only when you got back out that you realised how close you’d been pressed. Alfie was not a country boy but he’d kept mostly quiet for your sake, taking what drink was offered him, and grumbling under his breath.

“You’re being very accommodating, my love, thank you”

You planted a kiss on his temple, smoothing his hair back against the side of his head.

“I’m too bloody cold to do much else, darlin’” he complained, and you rolled your eyes.

“Shut up” you scuffed up the hair you’d just fixed and turned back towards the centre of the group, where a bonfire was roaring, watching the people laughing and joking.

“We’re going to freeze to death”

“Alfie, please shut the fuck up, my love”

“We are going to freeze to death, yeah?” he took pauses between each set of words, staring into the fire in front of the wagon.

“We’re not going to freeze to death, you’re being a baby”

“How the fuck do you live in these things? I mean, honestly, I want to know, how generations have survived living feral like this” he elbowed the side of the wagon.

“We’re not fucking feral you dick”

You punched his arm before shuffling closer to him and snuggling into his side, wrapping the edges of your shawl around as much of him as you could.

“We’re family. Well more like…kin. Not necessarily a family of blood, you know? Although Johnny is…sort of my uncle. Somewhere, it’s…”

You flapped your hand in the space between his chest and the shawl and he hummed into the crown of your head.

“I appreciate you doing this Alfie”

“Din’t have much of a choice, did I darlin’?”

He took another drink and you looked up at him.

“You did, Alfie Solomons does nothing he doesn’t want to” you insisted, and he shrugged.

“Yeah, well” he scowled again, looking back over his shoulder “what are the beds like in these things? Ya gonna fuck my back up?”

“No, it’ll be good for you” you turned to move the door open, letting him see further inside, “see, nice flat-board one at the back there, blankets and everything. We’re practically domesticated” you whispered in to his ear with a giggle and he shook his head at you.

He wrapped his arm over your shoulders, both of you looking out to where two of the lads had started play scrapping, their brothers cheering them on and you gave out a shout yourself.

“Go on, Billy!”

“Bloody feral, I tell ya” he joked, and you smiled.

“Eh, I think they’d give Goliath a run for his money”

You laughed together, him refilling his cup.

“I will say, this ain’t half bad”, he lifted the cup to you.

“Oh, a compliment!” you blew your eyes wide, let your jaw go slack in mock shock.

“No, no, don’t start that” he argued, with a wiggle of the finger.

“No, where’s Ollie when you need him? I want this on paper!”

“Fuck off, darlin’”

You planted another kiss on his cheek, laying your forehead against him, drinking in his warmth, his smell, the sound of the fire, and the people, and the feel of the breeze on you.

You didn’t mind London, as long as Alfie was there, and you loved the road, but if he’d stayed at the big house tonight you know neither of you would have slept half as well. But you had him here. And you had the night.

 


End file.
